A few weeks ago, controversy erupted in the media over the proposedconstruction of an Islamic cultural center in New York close to theformer World Trade Center site.

Many people who had been injured, or who lost family and friends in the9/11 attacks, complained that the Islamic Center would hurt theirfeelings. Others claimed that the victims' hurt feelings warrantedblocking the center's construction on grounds of insensitivity.

There is though, a strong counterargument to that view. Since the peopleproposing to build the center had nothing to do with the attacks, thecomplaints of the 9/11 victims are unfair; they should deal rationallywith their emotions instead of trying to infringe upon the rights ofunrelated people wishing to build a religious center.

But what if there were a completely different proposal ­ a proposal tomake the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks into national heroes?

Then the situation would be very different. The men being put forward asheroes would be the same men who had willfully brought agony andbereavement to thousands of people. In that case the feelings of thevictims should be paramount. It would be an abomination to glorify theperpetrators, while trampling on the feelings of the victims.

And yet, moving to Indonesia, we find the government proposing tovenerate Soeharto without considering the millions of people who lostrelatives in his purges, the thousands who were unjustly imprisoned,exiled or stigmatized for the best part of their lives, the thousandsmore who suffered torture or abuse at the hands of his security forceswith no hope for justice, or even for recognition of their suffering.

Of course there are some people, including President Susilo BambangYudhoyono, who prospered professionally or financially under Soeharto.No doubt some were personally involved in torture or murder in theregime's name, and hope glamorization of Soeharto will attenuate theirown feelings of guilt and fears of prosecution. Perhaps others seeacclamation of Soeharto as a vindication of their authoritarian ideologyor as a reaffirmation of a distorted view of history.

Many were simply brought up to revere Soeharto and have never maturedenough to see beyond the smiling photograph on the wall and themanicured serenity of New Order-controlled media reports.But viewed comprehensively, the government's enthusiasm in elevatingSoeharto is another symptom of its lost direction.

Instead of uplifting the downtrodden of Soeharto's rule, it tramples ontheir feelings by lauding him as a hero, just as today it tramples onthe freedom of minorities through surrogate bands of thugs, who ittreats as vital enforcers of stability and propriety.

Instead of fighting tirelessly to rectify Soeharto's legacy --- thevenal court system, the corrupt institutions, the arrogant politiciansand the greedy bureaucracy --- it evades its responsibilities byidolizing the very man who created the mess in the first place!

Instead of learning from history, it warps history by perpetuating amythical view that turns tyrants into heroes, injustice into order andfear into peace.

This nostalgia for the past era of impunity, illusion and exploitationshould end. Rather, Indonesia should look to the future with humanity,determination, realism and justice.

John HargreavesJakarta

Soeharto to get national hero status?'*

Tue, 10/19/2010

Oct. 17, Online: The government has proposed late former presidentSoeharto and nine other deceased figures get national hero status,Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam said in Jakarta on Sunday.Dipo said the proposal, made by the Social Services Ministry, was beingassessed by the Honor and Service Council before President SusiloBambang Yudhoyono decides."It's not true that Pak Harto will get national hero status. There arenine others proposed by the Social Services Ministry," Dipo, who is aformer student activist from the 1970s, said as quoted by kompas.com.Dipo said the nine other figures include noted ulema and formerpresident Abdurrahman Wahid, and former Jakarta governors Ali Sadikinand J. Leimena. Soeharto and nine other figures are part of 18previously proposed by the Social Services Ministry, he said."Let's think positively. The government will process them in line withproposals from the public by considering their lifetime contributions tothe country," he added./

Soeharto's hero status remains unclear

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 10/18/2010

The government says that it has yet to decide whether or not formerpresident Soeharto would be given a national hero status.

Cabinet secretary Dipo Alam told reporters at the People's ConsultativeAssembly (MPR) in Jakarta on Monday that the government had received atleast 10 names to be proposed as national heroes including formerJakarta governor Ali Sadikin and Soeharto.

An honorary board led by Political, Legal, and Security AffairsMinister Djoko Suyanto will make a decision about the issue," Dipo said.

The candidacy of Soeharto for a national hero status has sparkedcontroversies due to his dictatorship regime.

During the regime, the country saw heavy oppressions towards the freedomof speech and massive violations of human rights.

The week in review: The Papua torture video

The Jakarta Post | Sun, 10/24/2010 - Editorial

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a brave move on Friday, orderingCoordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister DjokoSuyanto to acknowledge the authenticity of a video that depicts membersof the Indonesian Military (TNI) torturing indigenous Papuans.

The Asian Human Rights Commission had posted the video on YouTube(although it was later removed). With the video online for the wholeworld to see, the President must have realized this time that the olddefensive and denial tactics would not work.

While we salute the President's move, we hope his generals will followup on his order for a thorough investigation. The President's bluntconfession will mean nothing if he does not take harsh actions againstthe soldiers and their commanders. The first thing he must do isestablish an independent fact-finding commission led by the NationalCommission on Human Rights.

However, no matter how accurate this commission's findings are, theywill be useless if the President does not translate the findings intoconcrete action. Only a transparent and fair court will help regainIndonesia's credibility.

Another step Yudhoyono must take is to open Papuan territory tointernational access. Until now foreign journalists and internationalworkers have been forbidden from entering Papua. Our experiences inTimor Leste and Aceh should have taught us that the closure of conflictareas only worsens human rights abuses, with the lack of close supervision.

Papuans have the constitutional right to be treated as first-classcitizens of Indonesia. Many Papuans feel they are being discriminatedagainst by their fellow citizens and even the state. It will not besurprising if one day they turn around and say "Enough is enough! Wewant to get out of this hell!"

***

THE RUPIAH STRENGTHENED

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the rupiah had strengthened,nearing a three-year high, as speculators expected higher yields inIndonesia. According to the news agency, the rupiah had advanced 5.2percent this year, as overseas investors pumped US$2.2 billion intoIndonesian stocks.

At this rate, Bank Indonesia may be forced to intervene in the market bybuying rupiah.

The threat of a currency war is very real. US Treasury Secretary TimothyF. Geithner has repeatedly urged China to make its currency, therenminbi, more realistic according to the real market value, anddemanded an appreciation of the currency. But Beijing will not likelybow to any pressure as China's growth continues, and there is no sign ofits economy overheating. Japan, meanwhile, accused South Korea ofintentionally controlling the won. The Australian dollar also continuesstrengthen, as does the Singapore dollar.

Indonesian officials and economists played down the danger of rupiahfluctuations, arguing that Indonesia's fundamentals were very strong.This was markedly different to the situation during the 1997-98 Asianfinancial crisis, when the rupiah fluctuated severely. As a result, BankIndonesia increased interest rates to 70 percent in 1998.

But please do not forget that just before the crisis hit Indonesia inJuly 1997, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF),along with other international financial institutions, praisedIndonesia's perfect fundamentals.

This time we hope that such blunders in assessing our economy will nothappen again. We need to remember that we have had a consumer-driveneconomy over the last few years, as the return of foreign directinvestment has remained slow

***

BARACK OBAMA TO VISIT INDONESIA NEXT MONTH*

On Friday, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa announced the planned visitof US President Barack Obama next month, on the sidelines of hisscheduled trip to attend the G20 summit in South Korea and theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Yokohama, Japan. ButObama has postponed visiting Indonesia (the country where he spentseveral years of his childhood in the 1960s) twice this year already, soIndonesians will probably be less enthusiastic about his visit thistime. Obama needs to understand that he has disappointed manyIndonesians who feel that this country is no longer part of his agenda.

President Yudhoyono will meet Obama at the two summits. Perhaps manyIndonesians do not realize that their country is a member of theprestigious new club: G20. But many Indonesians also do not see therelevance of the G20 in their daily life.

Apart from the two summits, Yudhoyono also must attend the ASEAN Summitnext week in Hanoi, Vietnam. But is ASEAN more meaningful to ordinaryIndonesians than the G20 and APEC?